1 + 2 = 3

My Red Flame and I hit a milestone of sorts this last week when we made it somewhat unscathed to our 3rd Anniversary. Horray! Why the above equation? No, I am not challenging your intellligence by seeing if you remember your basic addition. I was thinking just how significant those numbers were and how it worked out this particular way. One proposal, two kids and three years later here we are. It has been a wild three years filled with milestones and although not always easy (as those of you who have surpassed this mark can attest) we are in it for the long haul.

So my Russian Red Flame, hunk of a husband. You put up with alot and I am grateful for your patience with me. I am after all a Gemini. The girls and I love you and I am so looking forward to the next chapter in our lives. Here's to another equation.

Feeding time

Our own little turkey knew where the candy dish was, and even though she had to be up on her toes to get to it....she made it. Thank you Josh for having the camera ready when we found out what she was doing...I let her have another piece just so we could catch the way she got it on film.

We went up to the Hansen's for Thanksgiving and a shout out to my cousin Josh for eyeing my camera and getting so many cute pics of the festivities. I owe him one.

Come and gone...

Paul, Liane and little Mady- look even she is laughing at her Dad!



The girl cousins in all thier glory. Too bad it is my girls that cant seem to keep thier mouths bottle/binky free!



I could not get Artyom to dress up as the BIG, BAD, WOLF but at least he donned what I think of him as...my own personal Superman! (minus the tights...)

If you know Sofia and the story of her Monkey (named...monkey) you will know how fitting it was that she was one and the same for Halloween.




Just a few highlights from the Halloween night...Yes I know. Many of you are looking at your calendar and saying- well isnt it DECEMBER?! Yes, yes it is... and I will probley not have Christmas pics up until Valentines Day...Sue me.

Madalyn Mae Pederson

Daddy and Mady sleeping

Silly girl on a Sunday!

Madalyn Mae

Introducing Madalyn Mae Pederson...

Our joyful baby girl!

AM/FM...Mama esho

THE BACKGROUND:
So heres the thing...
A few months ago, my dear husband

tried to jump start our car after the battery died. Well, I asked him if he knew how to do it and he assured me that he did. Well when he came in to tell me that it was not the battery, I asked how he knew that. Well I tried to jump it and nothing happened...so I switched the cables and STILL nothing happened... If any of you know anything more than I do (which is the BARE MINIMUM) about cars you would know there is only one way to put on the +/- cables and Artyom tried both ways! Needless to say he completely fried my radio/CD player and we have not taken it in to replace it as of yet.

THE STORY:
I am missing my radio immensely due to the fact that it is the first one I have had in a car with an actual CD player and one that plays more than one station. Especially as the Christmas season is here, I miss hearing all the songs. So I decided to make my own music and have started to sing in the car when the girls are with me (ok. let's be honest- I sing even when they are NOT with me in the car). So I was singing "Angels we have heard on high" and it was awfully quite in the back seat. I finished the grand "Gloo-ooo-oriah" sighed and felt satisfied with hearing a Christmas Carol, albeit minus a radio when from the back seat I heard the sweetest voice say, "Esho Mama." (Again Mama) and that has made all the difference. All I want for Christmas? To hear my sweet say that to me esho, and esho, and esho....

To the parents of Mady...

Ok you Guys...this little one is going to be a year old before any of the extended family see a picture of her! If you are not going to be the proud parents I know you are and post a pic, I am going to have to intervene and post one myself. She is way too cute to not be plastered on the blog. Get on it.

Oh Yes I Did!!

Yep. 24 Questions for the 24 days of Christmas ahead of us...How would YOU answer?

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Gift bags baby! For those who know me, I have been doing better with this...consider yourself warned...and lucky! It used to be SOFT WRAP!!!

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Definitely real. I gotta go with the Oregonian in me on that one. Artificial is for sweetner...not for Christmas trees.

3. When do you put up the tree?
The last few years it has been the 1st of December. Gotta wait that extra day for November to end. You have to pay homage to the Turkey. I mean, come on. Many a bird DIE so we can have a holiday.

4.When do you take the tree down?
New Years-part of the start of a new year ahead...

5. Do you like eggnog?
Yum! Yep. My Dad keeps it in GALLONS-ready to drink over the holidays. No wonder I gain so much weight when I am home for Chrismas.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Hmmm. Toss up between the MRE's (Meals ready to eat) and the gun from my Dad...What can I say? I grew up military.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My husband. It should not be that hard, but the boy is TOUGH to buy for. He would rather have nothing at all which makes it even harder!

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My kids...oh yeah. To be 2 and 5 months! Dollar Store Christmas for us!

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
We were married in December and someone gave us one as a wedding gift. THANK YOU MEG!!!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Gotta mail the yearly newsletter. It is sometimes the only coorespondence some of my family members recieve from me all year! I am a bit of a slacker!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Hands down the canned ham...also from Daddy dearest- He tries, he really does. He just did not have much of a clue as to what to get a girl...He had 5 boys after all.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Charlie Brown's Christmas or the Grinch (old cartoon version) we quoted both as kids.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
When do I NOT shop for Christmas. I keep a list in my wallet and cross off the names as I go. This year however, everyone's gift will be the newsletter...Susprise! Happy Holidays!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Are you kidding?! My brother is getting a recycled Birthday present for Christmas. I think there is still an ongoing joke recycled present going around my family that has been circulating since the late 80's. Ah recycling- the only way to buy...

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
I love pepermint bark. So good. And for some reason Dutch Minties always taste better to me around December.

16. Lights on the tree?
Yes. I do love the lights. Only the white ones though. We had the color ones all growing up and I have since moved on...

17. Favorite Christmas Song?
I LOVE Let it Snow, White Christmas and O Holy Night. There really are not many that I do not love.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Well I have traveled alot through the years to go home- OREGON!! But I will never be a "vacationer" for Christmas. 19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Can I sing the song while doing so? If yes, then more than likely I could.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
I dont have either at the moment. I usually try to put something there however.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
As kids we always got to open ONE on Christmas Eve. I have kept this tradtion and the one is always going to be Christmas pj's to wear to bed and on Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
People who definitely do NOT have the Christmas spirit and cut you off in the parking lot while you are waiting for a space...with your blinker on...and 2 kids in the car... That and people who do not have a home to go to. It just makes me sad.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color.
Red RED, RED!!! Susprised? I have a Russian Theme: ornaments, food etc. each year to help my girls with thier culture.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner:
Wow. What is there not to love. I love Russian Blinchiki.

HELP!

Ok. SO I am trying to beautify our blog to reflect the season and I cannot get this dumb wall paper background changed. I have tried and tried. So. Sorry for the eyesore. I am working on it! If anyone has any suggestions, I am welcome to them.

THanksgiving

This is where we were for Thanksgiving Day. It was so great, and so worth the early morning, standing around waiting, and paying $30 for parking.
This is the huge crowd, unbelievable. Thanks to the wonderful barricade made by our double stoller and camping chairs we were able to keep our kids around us without any worries.

Here are some of our parade favorites.

This is Miley Cyrus for those that do not know (Kent). She is a popular singer for little girls.

Before the parade I asked the kids to show me how excited they were. So who wins the cheesy smile award?

Thank you to Ryan for indulging my need to be brave and see big events. Thank you to Collette, Stan and Sallee for the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that we just showed up for after. What a WONDERFUL day.

It has begun...

I knew this day would come and I would be spending more time than I would have thought on my knees scrubbing the carpet...But it will all be worth it when we put away the #4 diapers and she goes into the next chapter of her life as a newly potty-trained toddler...ANY support and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated.


We thought the pink would help...Ill let you all know.

My Boy-

I was so certain that this one was going to be a boy...the pregnancy was polar opposite from my first, and I just had thewoman intuition that this was our little man we were thinking it would be. Now I know that she was supposed to be here. Now 4 months have passed and I look at pictures like this and think why on earth I would ever hope she would have been a HE.

I think oh I have picassa, I should really "doll" that picture up. But I look at it again and again and think, I love her just the way SHE is...Why shouldnt everyone else?

As Jon was married in October and dang it, he had to get hitched in Hawaii. S we decided upon taking the girls and making a memory out of it. Too bad were not Jon and Kate + 8- we would've had the whole thing paid for and could of had 2 weddings (sort-of). If you're not a fan of the show- don't start to watch...It will only cause bitterness in the end. 

ANYWAY! Here are just a few pics of the fun filled 5 days on Oahu. 

Autumn

I love this time of year...I used to not like it so much; October, Fall, Halloween... Until I had her-

Now that she is a October born girl, this time of year means so much more to me. And each time I look at her, I feel the same way. She means so much more to me too.

Ryan did a fabulous job on our post. I am glad that he chose to take on the blogging duties for a change, however I just cannot let the pics. in the middle be passed over without saying anything. Mason did turn 5 this weekend. It was such a fun day. He chose donuts for breakfast and pesto chicken with brocoli for dinner. I was glad that it was not junk the whole day. He was so excited to open his presents. The complete look of surprise in the pic. is impressive since he has already snuck a peak of that present in our room a few weeks ago. Of course it is sad to see another year go, however I am glad that I still have him at home to enjoy (until next year anyway). He is growing to be so helpful with McKena being gone all day. He is even improving on his relationship with his brother. He will now actually let Spencer play with him which is so fun to watch. So Happy Birthday to Mason.

fall update

Halloween started a 6 o'clock sharp with kids coming by the house by 5min after. I got home a little late, so we were still eating dinner by the time the first of the trick or treaters showed up. The soup in the kids' bowls had barely been touched after about 10 minutes at the table. I gave them extra large servings so that they wouldn't be stuffing themselves of candy all night and I soon thought that this idea was going to backfire. After a quick threat of no trick or treating if their dinner wasn't finished they sucked up that soup so fast they all could have gone as Hoover vacuums that night. Needless to say they ended up getting into their costumes. McKena went as Fire Star (you'll have to google it or watch an old Spiderman and his amazing friedns cartoon), Mason as Spiderman, and both Spencer and Devon went as dinasours. Tonya actually made all of the costumes but Masons, which I bought for a good deal on Ebay. They all really liked their costumes and they all looked really good. I was "chosen" to take the kids out last year when it was cold and a monsoon outside, so of course Tonya thought it should be her turn this year with the 60 degree weather and no chance of rain. Tonya and the kids were gone for about an hour and a half while I gave out candy. I had a couple funny things happen. First of all, I had Devon so I had him in one arm and I usually grabbed a handfull of candy in the other hand and gave one mini-candybar to each kid. There were a couple of times where the kids (around 3-4) would just sit there and wait after I gave them their candy. When this happened I usually gave them another peice and then wished them a Happy Halloween. This worked on all of the kids except one who just sat there. I think that she thought that I was going to give her every piece of candy in my hand. After the second piece, third, and then the fourth, I had to tell her that was it and I needed the other candy for other kids. It was only after I started giving candy to some other kids that came up to the doorstep that she turned around and left. With the good weather the kids came in droves and I shut off the light about 10min before Tonya got home because I ran out of candy. Once the kids returned they enjoyed their spoils and then were off to bed. We don't allow the kids to take their bags to their rooms, so we kept them downstairs. After we looted their bags and ate the candy of our likeing we again survived another Halloween.

No, that's not an exceptionally large girl, it's just that Mason's so small. To his defense most of the kids that he plays against are 6 years old and he played most of the season at age 4. Even with his height difference he's the most fearless of the kids on his team. I think that he likes the physicality a bit too much even pushing a kid. I didn't get too upset about it because the kid was twice his size and Mason probably didn't get much past his waist. He was a bit suprised at a little kid being so aggressive.

McKena here looking good for the camera. She always has a smile on her face during the games even when she falls. She sometimes is more interested in what's going on outiside the field than the game in it.